KemperSports, which has more than
35 years of experience operating private
clubs, will focus on membership growth
and engagement initiatives.

China cracks down on
golf courses

The government of China recently confirmed that it has closed 111 courses
and imposed restrictions on another 65
during the past five years as part of an
ongoing crackdown on its fledgling golf
industry.

China’s Xinhua News Agency claimedthe courses were ordered closed becausethey were improperly using groundwateror were built on either arable land or pro-

Of the courses facing restrictions, 18were made to return and restore land, and47 were told to stop construction or busi-ness operations.

Although China officially banned the
development of new courses in 2004, the
number of courses in the country has
more than tripled, from fewer than 200
to 683, in large part because regional and
local governments seeking to increase
development opportunities and to promote tourism often looked the other way
when new courses were built.

Even courses that escaped the shutdownedict are facing increased scrutiny. Allcourses were ordered to carry out “rectifi-cation,” the Chinese planning agency said.Eleven of those reportedly then closedvoluntarily.

In 2015, golf was the target of a government edict that prohibited members of the
ruling Communist Party from playing the
game and banned officials from receiving
free memberships and rounds. Party leaders claimed golf was only for the wealthy
and violated party principles.

But Chinese officials haven’t always
been so antagonistic toward golf. In the
past, the government has sought to promote the sport by bringing in foreign
coaches and encouraging Hall of Fame
golfers such as Greg Norman and Nick
Faldo to get involved in instructional programs aimed at developing young Chinese
golfers.

shooting, mountain biking, hunting toursand private shuttles to and from larger cit-ies, in addition to other improvements.

“The challenge in finding the right
buyer was finding an investor for the community,” said Steve Ekovich, senior vice
president at Marcus & Millichap, which
handled the sale for both the buyer and
seller.

Jacobs and his partners are reportedly
Dismal River’s fourth owners. They bought
the 3,000-acre spread from Richard and
Chris Johnston, who had owned it since
2009. The Johnstons invested $40 million
in the club.

Dismal River gets fourth owner

Dismal River Golf Club, one of Nebraska’s
build-it-and-they-will-come golf venues,
has been sold again. The 36-hole club,
which opened in 2006, now belongs to a
group of seven Omaha businessmen led
by Joel Jacobs, a former professional football player who’s become an investment
adviser.

Nicklaus and Tom Doak.

Golf Digest ranks Dismal River courses
at No. 2 and No. 5 in the state, but it’s hard
to brag about those rankings when your
next-door neighbor is Sand Hills Golf
Club, ranked No.17 in the world.

“I’ve always known what the place can
be and should be,” he told The North
Platte Telegraph. “We’ll build on what’s
there and make it special. There’s never
been any money spent on marketing and
awareness. We’ll do that and bring life and
energy to the place.”

“The asset was not a standard golf
course sale. It was in the middle of the
Sand Hills of Nebraska, in a somewhat
remote location with resort cabins that
were sold as a stock sale vs. an asset sale,”
Ekovich said. “The buyer had the sophistication to pull it off.

Jacobs grew up on a ranch in Mullen,Neb., near the Dismal River club, whichfeatures golf courses designed by JackJacobs has developed a business plan tobring Dismal River to the next level. Thebuyers and their team plan to add skeet“We look forward to watching thegrowth of Dismal River as it turns into awell-known vacation destination.”